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Thea Buick, a Mahurangi College student and member of New Zealand’s Under 24 Women’s underwater hockey team, won a gold medal at the 2026 CMAS Group Underwater World Championships in Gebze, Turkey.
During the seven-day tournament, Thea scored eight goals in 10 matches.
The team won the round-robin stage before defeating Great Britain in the quarter-finals, Colombia in the semi-finals and Turkey 8-0 in the final.
They claimed the title unbeaten, scoring 107 goals without conceding a single goal throughout the tournament.
Two other Mahurangi College students, Clementine Hart and Finlay Jozefek, also had strong performances at the championship.
Year 11 student Hart won a silver medal with the Under 19 Women’s team after they lost the final to Colombia 1-0.
The South American team scored the only goal of the match with just 30 seconds remaining.
Meanwhile, Jozefek finished fourth with the Under 19 Men’s team after losing the bronze-medal match against France 4-3 in overtime. New Zealand had previously lost its semi-final against Colombia 2-0.
The achievement was praised by Auckland Underwater Hockey on its official Facebook page.
“These performances are not only a result of the talent, dedication and work from these players but a celebration of supporting, developing talent, growing the game and excelling in competition.”
